January 6 2008

The FA Cup

Crystal Palace lost their unbeaten record as two Danny Shittu goals saw Watford progress into the FA Cup 4th round, writes Simon Pophale.

This match was always being used as a training exercise for Neil Warnock, as he made changes to the side which drew with Norwich. Scott Flinders, John Bostock & Carl Fletcher started,while Ryan Hall and Victor Moses made the bench. Watford started with a full strength team.

We suffered with the changes though. If this one game showed anything, it was the importance that Shaun Derry has in the team. We missed his energetic, non-stop running, breaking up attacks and Watford had the bulk of midfield possession for long periods.

Rarely did we make Richard Lee in the Watford goal in the first half, but some of our play merited more. On 11 minutes, Scannell had a shot after enterprising play from Morrison and Fletcher.

However, if this match was going to be characterised by anything, it was going to be for many poor decisions from the officials. The ball was clearly out when Marlon King passed to Darius Henderson, Speroni saving well.

As often happens, it was a former player that did the damage and after Jordan Stewart found JOBI MCANUFF on the left, his advance was halted by Mark Hudson. The resultant corner saw Shittu rise unchallenged (how a 6 foot 4 Nigerian International is inconspicuous, escapes me) to head the home side into the lead on 28 minutes.

We showed nothing of putting Watford under any pressure. A tame Jose Fonte header was all we had to show for our efforts.

Thankfully, the officials evened up the score on bad decisions in the 2nd half. Watford had 3 penalty appeals in the first 10 minutes, each time the referee Lee Mason waving play on. Certainly they had good shouts on a handball even we could see at the other end of the pitch.

Bostock, who toiled tirelessly in midfield, winning numerous challenges and putting in many perfectly timed tackles, was changed for Moses on the hour. It is sometimes difficult to remember that he is only 15 as his performance belied his youth.

However, this was not before we fell two goals behind from a copycat corner that Shittu again beat Flinders virtually unmarked.

MCANUFF had another run which ended in a corner but from this, we saw what Moses could do. Morrison set him free and he ran at the Watford defenders, with his cross showing a danger that we sorely lacked in the first hour.

Moments later, Moses had a volley which dipped viciously over the bar from 20 yards. Not short on confidence, Moses was the bright point of the afternoon.

But it was men against boys (literally) but at the final whistle we were not disgraced in anyway. With all the enforced changes, if the difference between 8th and 2nd is a little experience, it shows that we are not too far away and this augurs well for the league.

Especially if the teams above us all stay in the FA Cup, every other result went our way, so we can “concentrate on the league” without any distraction.

Palace: Flinders, Hills, Fonte (Hill 81), Hudson, Lawrence, Scannell, Watson, Fletcher, Bostock (Moses 61), Scowcroft, Morrison (Hall 73).

Not Used: Martin, Freedman.